


The Lightsaber Connection

by tmwillson3



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, Gray Jedi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 15:29:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13743879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmwillson3/pseuds/tmwillson3
Summary: Post TLJ. Rey wants two things: to find her purpose in life, and to bring Ben back to the Light. When she discovers that it is possible to repair a lightsaber, an idea comes to mind that can fulfill both of these things. What she fails to realize is that it isn't a lightsaber that's going to change him. Only she can do that.





	The Lightsaber Connection

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [ReyloWhatHappensNext](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/ReyloWhatHappensNext) collection. 



> **Prompt:**
> 
> What happens if Rey tries to repair and return Luke's lightsaber to Kylo Ren?
> 
> That was the prompt I came up with. I've been a quiet Reylo fan since TFA, but TLJ has emboldened me a lot. I'm new to the Star Wars fandom, so if you see any glaring mistakes, please let me know. No, I don't own Star Wars, or any of the other things I make references to. All rights go to their respective owners. I hope you enjoy the story!

It all started and ended with a lightsaber. One particular lightsaber. 

Whatever else Rey told herself, she knew that to be true. 

Before she found BB-8, life had been routine and boring. Flying the Millenium Falcon and meeting Han Solo was unexpected and exciting. She felt a bond could have formed between them if she had wanted to stay, but she was determined to go back to Jakku, then at least.

The moment she followed the child’s voice, her voice, and found that lightsaber, though, everything changed. 

That which had been dormant was awakened.

Where life had no other purpose or future other than waiting for her parents, now all was thrown into chaos. Maz saw to that as she hinted at what Kylo Ren would later tell her. That there was no future on Jakku, and that no one was coming back for her there.

One touch was all it took. The Force and its vision changed her course irrevocably. She heard voices and saw places she would have never imagined. 

And then there was Kylo Ren. 

Certainly, she had heard of him, of the fear and destruction that followed in his wake. She heard of what he looked like. 

But seeing him kill another, and knowing it was him, was something else. 

And then he saw her, too. Somehow, he saw her and walked toward her, just as confused as she was as to why she was there.

That was the start of their connection, like it or not. It only took a moment, and then she was gone again. Then, to see him in the snow, coming for her, sent fear racing through her. 

She would never know that he had been seeking her ever since he had first seen her in the rain, quietly. Through that vision, one woman saw his new reality, and one woman had gotten away.

\------

The fact that a girl had helped Finn and BB-8 had struck Kylo Ren, but she would not find that out until much later. Or that when he finally found her in the forest of Takodana, he recognized her. 

Not consciously, of course. But as he studied her, fascination creeping in, and as he realized that she had seen the map, he changed his course deliberately. 

He told himself it was because he knew he could enter her mind and take it, and then get more intel from her since she had been with the Resistance. 

Not because a spark had been lit, lighting a fire that would eventually burn everything around him down.

He observed her carefully, drawn to her for reasons he did not care to examine. He needed to understand this girl, this scavenger. How she was such a good pilot, and more. He needed to figure out why she engendered feelings and responses from him, unlike anyone else. This... fascination was abnormal. 

\----

The interrogation helped him, and her, understand each other and themselves. They knew the other's fears, their shared loneliness, and more. He discovered his equal, able to push him away, and she discovered her hidden strength, that she had a much bigger purpose that she needed to figure out. 

In those brief moments in his head, she saw some basics of the Force, latching on to them quickly. She would never know that underneath the anger at her leaving, that he was a little impressed at her quick learning, and that he wanted her back. Such raw ability needed to be honed. He understood the need to learn, and seeing her uneasiness and fear, the need to control all of this. He could help her, teach her. Give her what others had failed to give him, until Snoke.

Finding Luke was still important, just as obedience to Snoke was, but his priorities had changed. He had compassion for her (whether he accepted it or not), and he saw an opportunity he could not pass up. 

The battle in the forest was still a surprise to Rey, despite seeing it in the Force vision. She was not used to seeing her dreams become reality. She bravely claimed the lightsaber, just as he tried to do at the same time, and he knew he had found her, at last. The girl, no, the woman, who had escaped. 

The duel began in earnest, both grunting and Rey full of fury, and yet, he was still calm as can be. So present in the moment as he tried to seize the opportunity, and bring her back with him. 

Once they were separated, somehow she knew he would come back for her, as doggedly as he had pursued her. She also knew that she needed a teacher. 

As her time on Ahch-To passed, it became clear that she did not have to be holding or using the lightsaber to see Kylo Ren. She saw him regardless, and her sentiments regarding him had undergone so material a change by the time she left that she saw him no longer as a monster, but as a human, truly experiencing confusion and loneliness like herself. 

She began to associate the lightsaber with him and their connection, as she knew whose it had been, from conversation and rumors among the Resistance, and that Kylo Ren wanted it back. 

She had been ready to give the saber to Luke if he would do his part to help the galaxy, but as he continued to refuse, her feelings toward who should own the lightsaber changed. She had trouble seeing it as hers, as her purpose in life was not clear to herself, and this needed to be in the hands of someone who could save the galaxy.

Then, she touched Ben’s hand, as she began to think of and call him afterward. He was more than just human; he was conflicted. He could be turned. She could help, and she wanted nothing more than to do what she could for her friends and the galaxy. She also wanted to be there for him, so that he wouldn't be alone, in that moment, or later as he followed his new path.

She did not understand her place, but he would show her.

\----

Now, as she closed the door on the Falcon and their connection for the time being, she knew that she had done something wrong. She wasn't sure what, but she had. Ben wasn't at her side as they had been in the fight. They had been an amazing team, in sync and aware of the other intimately as they fought. 

She could not dwell on that, though, or on what had happened immediately after that fight. She had failed, just as he had. She needed to find out where she had gone wrong, before she opened the connection to him again. She would not have many opportunities, and she needed to make them count. He no doubt needed time as well, after his behavior on Crait. 

For the time being, she needed to focus, and talk to Leia. She might be able to help.

As the team aboard the Falcon prepared for landing on another abandoned base near Resistance sympathizers, whose communication finally came after they boarded, Rey found Leia. 

Leia was standing tall, overseeing preparations and watching Poe as he learned to be a leader.

“What troubles you?” the general asked, suddenly turning to face Rey.

“I need to talk to you about what happened on Ahch-To and afterward. Can we go somewhere private?”

Leia led her to two chairs, and they sat close by in comfortable silence, almost directly in front of one another. She patiently waited for Rey to gather her thoughts, worried about her.   
Rey considered the best way to tell Leia about what happened, and how much. There was so much about Ben that she wanted Leia to know. 

After dwelling on him, and the vision she had of him when they touched, she had an idea. Why not reach out to Leia with the Force? Perhaps Leia could see her memories, just like she had seen Ben’s.

“How much training with the Force have you had?” Rey asked hesitantly. 

“A little,” Leia replied, more confused by this question. “Luke would sometimes show me little tricks after the war. He would encourage me to strengthen my mind. He never wanted me to be manipulated by the Dark Side, even though I'm plenty stubborn.”

Rey chuckled at that. “So you learned a little from Luke, as well as how to feel another's presence?”

“I became aware of it after Luke tried it with me in Cloud City. Ever since then, it has gotten stronger, especially with Luke, Han, and B-"

Leia stopped herself from continuing, worried about repeating Ben’s name to Rey after Crait, and yet hopeful after speaking to Luke.

“You feel Ben, too? Even now?” Rey asked, interest lighting up her eyes.

Leia had not expected that response, but she would take it. 

“I know he lives, and when he is close. That is all. My boy has chosen a different path.”

“For now. He's conflicted,” said Rey with conviction. 

She had felt his conflict when their hands had touched. She had thought briefly that he was going dark when he proposed to her, but seeing him in that last vision, looking so vulnerable, she was sure that he was still conflicted. She was disappointed that he chose a path different from hers, and she was upset with herself as well. She had seen it in her vision, and she had sensed their growing bond. Yet, she had failed. 

Which was why it was so important to do it right the next time she saw him. 

“How do you know he's conflicted?” asked Leia, now curious to know if Luke and Rey had discussed this. She knew Ben had not shot her when he had the chance, but was there further proof?

“That's why I asked you how much training you had with the Force,” replied Rey, now looking uncertain. “I want to show you. It'll be easier and faster. You can look at my memories.”

“Why?” asked Leia.

“Because it's complicated,” said Rey.

“Considering who his father is, I'm not surprised,” answered Leia with a slight grimace. “Alright, let's try it.”

With a tentative smile, Rey reached out and clasped hands with Leia. Both shut their eyes.

“What do you know of my son?” asked Leia, reaching out as Luke had taught her years before.

In that moment, memories from Rey flashed by in quick succession, starting with Takodana and Starkiller Base, then Ahch-To, and finally, the throne room.

Leia gasped as she watched Han die, and then looked surprised as Rey and Ben fought. It was…. enlightening to say the least.

When Rey had shared everything, she pulled her hand away, only for the general to get up and pull her into an embrace.

“Rey,” she choked out, emotion filling her voice. It was all too much, and yet not enough.

After several quiet moments, the two women separated.

“Now you understand,” said Rey. “He's confused, just like me. I don't understand where I went wrong, but I have to fix this. We need Ben.”

What she didn't say was that she needed him.   
For the first time in her life, she had not felt alone. She felt as though someone understood her, and not just that, recognized her worth. No one else had tried, or was so persistent about it. Cutting herself off from Ben right now hurt. She was alone again, despite being surrounded by friends. 

She wanted to be near him, to feel his presence, and to talk to him. To understand him. At some level, she also knew she needed him, that without him, some things could never be done, or make sense. She still did not understand herself, but he seemed to. She needed that clarity that only he could bring.

“We do need Ben. But, before you go there, you need a weapon. And a plan,” pronounced Leia, ever the stalwart leader.

“I'll figure out the plan once I have a weapon,” replied Rey as she stood up.

“What about Luke's lightsaber?” 

This question brought Rey up short, making her pause. Did Leia understand her attachment to that lightsaber? How she thought of him every time? 

“What about it?” she asked quietly.

Even then, her hands clenched into fists, as though she were holding the two broken pieces. The broken pieces of their bond.

“Fix it up. Use it. You can't go unarmed like that before him again.”

Hope, sharp and bright like nothing before, hit Rey at once. 

“I can repair it?” she asked in quiet awe. “It can be restored?”

Just like she could repair this situation between them. She had to, and would. 

She had a role now, as she had helped save the Resistance in the short term. Now, she could save Ben. She had dwelt too long in her quarters, sitting in bitter self-recrimination for failing. She knew she had to something, but what had failed her until this moment.

Now she knew with shocking clarity. She was going to restore that lightsaber, and she was going to give it back to its rightful owner. 

Once she proved to him that she was not trying to betray or kill him, then he would see that she only wanted to help him, not shut him out.

With this resolution made, she smiled and thanked Leia before rushing back to her quarters. She had brought the books from the Jedi library with her; hopefully those would contain ideas on how to restore the lightsaber.

She rushed off to her quarters and read. She devoured the books for several days, trying to gain their secrets and ignoring everyone else. 

Not that anyone noticed her disappearance. Finn was still engrossed in his steadfast watch over Rose. Poe and the rest of the Resistance were making plans and talking to the sympathizers who had shown up recently.

Leia noticed, checking in on her once a day around lunch time. Ben noticed, too, trying to open up the connection between them again daily First with regret, then anger.

When she had read everything there was, she had a rudimentary understanding, but there was still so much she didn't understand, such as how to find a kyber crystal. 

She still felt useless. She hadn't learned enough.

In that moment of self-doubt, her barriers dropped, and finally, with the single-minded determination that she knew so well, Ben found her. 

She felt his presence at once as all sounds of the outside world ceased, and he was looking in on her in her failure, her hands covering her face as she was hunched over. 

She did not see the sudden change in his demeanor. He was poised to berate her, and yet, seeing her defeated like this, he stopped. This was not the fiery scavenger of hope he knew. He wanted to fix this.

“What happened?” he asked urgently. “Tell me.”

She looked up at last, her eyes taking on the look they had in the throne room. Almost pleading. He stepped closer, even as his body tightened in response. He remembered what had happened last time all too well.

“Do you think I betrayed you? Failed you?” she asked, a slight tremble in her voice.

Now he was confused. Of course she had, and then she closed the bond to hide from him. What else did she expect him to feel?

Did she regret it now? She ought to. He had always been alone. He had gotten used to it after being neglected by his family, and then entered a new realm of it as he took his place underneath Snoke. 

He had been confused when a girl had suddenly appeared then disappeared. He had been fascinated by her in the forest, and then he had entered her mind in the interrogation room. 

Everything changed in that moment, as a bond was formed between them. As that bond grew, he suddenly realized that he was not alone anymore. That someone else understood. She had fought beside him, ready to come to him to support him, as though she knew that he wanted to kill Snoke.

But most of all, she had cared. In her caring for him, he opened himself up and left himself vulnerable, and then she betrayed him. In his rage, he thought that their bond was destroyed now. That she had taken true sympathy and companionship from him, making him alone again.

Then he discovered that he was wrong. That the Force was stronger than Snoke, still working between them as it had when it first started. Only then did he realize what true loneliness was, as she shut him out. After experiencing a connection with her, this forced separation was ten times worse than any loneliness he had felt before. 

He needed answers from her. He needed to see her, and hear her say why she betrayed him. It was the only way he could find closure. He had shut his own walls for a time, hoping she would try to find him, but she had not, unfortunately.

“Yes. You and I both know you betrayed me, and I deserve to know why.”

He was trying so hard to remain calm. However, he got no further, as someone was entering her room. He disappeared, more frustrated than ever.

He would not be distracted next time. 

Leia entered Rey’s quarters with some food. She was confused when she heard voices coming from there, even though Rey was alone. Rey looked at her, pain and relief in her face. 

“Did those books not help?” she asked as she noticed the redness in Rey’s eyes.

“No, they didn't. I don't know enough to help him.”

She needed a teacher, yet again. She needed to understand this. And yet, she could not ask the one who would know better than anyone else.

Finally understanding why Rey had been speaking, Leia said, “Don't be afraid. Of your connection with Ben, or to ask for help. Call on Luke if you must. He's done it before.”

This stopped Rey. 

“How can I talk to Luke? He died. We both felt it.”

“The Force is a curious thing. I can't say I've experienced it myself, but Luke has told me numerous stories of former Jedi masters who came back as ghosts to talk to him. It can be done. Seek them out, as Luke no doubt taught you.”

Rey considered this, and decided to meditate. She had not been ready to answer his question. She wanted to wait until she had finished repairing the lightsaber. Only then would he understand. 

She emptied her mind and meditated. Then, she called out to Luke. 

“I thought I gave you all the lessons I said I would,” Luke harrumphed as he appeared. 

Rey was shocked out of her meditating position, wide-eyed as she realized that it had actually worked.

“You did,” she answered slowly as she pulled out the broken piece of the lightsaber, “but I need your help one last time. I broke Ben’s lightsaber.”

“You broke his-? Wait. That's not his lightsaber,” he scolded. 

“Not right now, but it will be when he turns. He'll need it. He wants this, has always wanted it.”

She got up, needing to show it to him. He waved her off.

“The only reason he wants it is because my father had created it and used it once. It's a connection he seeks, despite the fact that it is associated with Anakin Skywalker, when he was still on the light side. It's always baffled me.”

“But what if that's why he wants it?” asked Rey impulsively, as if realizing something. “What if he is considering turning? He's conflicted; we both know it. Subconsciously, maybe he wants it to experience both sides of the Force, Dark and Light.”

“It's possible,” Luke said as he shrugged. “But that's going to be hard to do now that you've gone and broken it.”

“That's why I need your help. Leia says you've built your own lightsaber before. Please, tell me what to do so that I can fix it and make this right. I have to help Ben. Please.”

If Rey thought that kneeling in supplication would help, she would have done it. But given his past teachings, she knew better. She simply waited, the plea in her eyes. 

Luke considered her for a moment, and then nodded. “Very well, but you're going to need a new crystal.”

Several hours of discussion later, Rey had a plan. She needed a ship, and she needed to go, now. 

She made her preparations, speaking to Leia of her plan to go to the Unknown Regions and then reforge the lightsaber. After that, she found Finn, and Poe who happened to be with him observing Rose, who was almost healed. 

“I've come to say good-bye for now,” she said.

Finn hopped up at once.

“No, you can't leave. We just got you back. What can you possibly have to do now?”

“I need to finish what I started,” she said simply. “I'm going to change the course of this war.”

“How?” asked Poe who now got up as well. “How can we help you? Does Leia know?”

“She does. I'll be back eventually, but when I do, I'm hoping I'll have someone else at my side. You won't like or trust him, but he's the only way now that Luke is dead. Once he is on our side, the First Order should crumble.”

“Wait, are you referring to….Kylo Ren?” asked Finn in hushed tones. 

She nodded her head, silencing them with a hand.

“Yes. He can be turned. I can help him, but I must do something first. Once he is with us, you'll easily be able to finish off the First Order.”

Both of their faces registered shock and disbelief. She did not care. 

“You can't turn him,” said Finn with finality. “Only he can make that choice, and I don't think there's anything left in him that would want to.”

“You're wrong,” she insisted with certain eyes. “Just be ready to fight when I let you know, and to have a ship ready for us. Please.”

“We will,” said Poe with a nod, putting a hand on his friend’s back to stop him from speaking again. 

Seeing that she had made up her mind, Finn embraced her, wishing her safe travels. After that, she was gone, Chewie and R2-D2 with her in the Falcon.

The travel was easy, but getting to the right planet would be the hard part. Luke had told her to go to the Unknown Regions, and then let the Force guide her to the right planet. So many crystals had been mined from Ilum and other places, but thankfully they could be found in many planets, just in much smaller concentrations.

When they came to the Unknown Regions, the ship was taken out of hyperspace so she could concentrate. Chewie navigated while she meditated. 

Finally, after some time of concentrating to the point of sweat breaking out over her whole body, Rey came out of her meditation, a clear vision of another frozen planet, and a path on land that would lead her to a cave. 

In multiple layers of protection (Luke warned her that she would hate it after being used to Jakku), Rey set out alone with two blasters and a staff. 

She followed the path, until it became dark. The vision had not shown her this.

In the blinding wind and swirling snow, Rey hid in a semicircular series of rocks to sleep. She had seen no animals or signs of life so far, but she knew better. It was only a matter of time.

A few hours later, after fitful sleep, she woke to a low, growling sound. 

She pulled everything to her, her boots pounding against her pack, and she looked around as she did so, trying to find the source of the sound.

Finally, a sound came, this time further away. Now, it was a louder, lower growl.

She finally looked up, seeing a large beast, twice as large as herself. It had yellow, glowing eyes, large saber-shaped teeth jutting down from its upper jaw, and enough fur to keep her warm five times over. 

When the beast saw her, it attacked. She jumped into position, afraid for her life.

It charged at her, and she shot at it with a blaster. The creature made a yelping noise before charging again, the blaster having done almost nothing.

Rey was certain that if the blaster could not help her, then she would have to use the Force. The problem was that she did not want to kill it. She did not want to continue to kill things in this war. It was venturing out here, which meant it most likely had a safe, warm place to survive normally when it was not hungry. She wanted to follow it, and find her way to safety. 

She put away her blaster, and she concentrated. This creature was just like the rocks she had moved before. The difference was that this thing could move.

Focusing on the beast, the pounding on the ground stopped, followed by a roar. When she looked up, the beast was floating in air, pupils dilated in confusion. 

Finally, she walked closer, looking the thing in the eye, as though to tell it that she meant no harm. The creature calmed until she started to put it down, and then it attempted to charge her again. 

She sent it up a little higher then let it drop against one of the smaller rocks. Then she lifted it up to her eyes, willing it to understand.   
When it calmed, she tried to put it down, but still it fought. She dropped it on its other side. Then, she waited to see what it would do.

After laying there several heartbeats, the creature stood up slowly, focusing on her. She held out her hand, palm up just like Ben had sought her out in the throne room. 

The beast backed up, cowering before her. She gave it a few minutes to realize that she was not going to hurt it again. 

Again, she reached out her hand in supplication, and this time, it took a step closer to her before it turned back. She sighed in frustration. 

She tried a third time, this time getting on her knees as she held out a hand. This time, it got close.

It sniffed her hand, and her gaze sought its eyes. For a moment, she felt comfortable as their eyes met, and its nose rubbed against her hand. She pulled out some food, and it took the offering.

She had only felt true safety once in her life. In Ahch-To. Alone in a hut with Ben, broken after going into the cave, where he had comforted her.

She had sought him out in that moment, wanting comfort in her loneliness, to receive it and to give it to him. She hated her weakness. 

Ben was just like this beast. He was a cagey thing, full of power and life, but a solitary creature. Misunderstood.

Suddenly, she felt an affinity with him, this beast. In her mind, she called him Ren. He was cautious in his nudging of her hand, looking for more food, and then he turned and ran.

She was up in a moment, following him wherever he went. Hopefully to real shelter.

Hours later, she had followed him through the blistering snow, with him looking back for her every once in a while until the cave appeared.

They entered the cave, and she started a fire for warmth. He kept circling around her until the fire was ready, and he drew close. 

She gave him some more of her food, hoping to further her cause. He took it greedily, and then settled in beside her to sleep. Putting out the fire, she fell asleep.

This time, new images assaulted her mind, of crystals and jagged edges in a cave. Of large beasts that chased her through the snow until suddenly, the beasts coalesced into one, and then turned into the form of Kylo Ren, as he had been in the forest at Starkiller Base. 

“We're not done yet,” he had said. His focus had been on her, and her spine stiffened, as though remembering all that they had shared earlier.

“You're a monster,” she had replied. 

It was true, and he knew it. He had accepted that about himself, that he would always be one. She could not see it then, his acceptance and resignation.

“It's just us now.”

It sounded so intimate then, and it still confused her now. How did he feel about her then? Surely he hated her. 

And yet, he never tried to really kill her, not like he did Finn. Knock her out for later capture, sure. Fight her into submission, yes. And when that did not work, he tried reason.

Why? 

She saw the lightsaber enter her hand, and the beast come tumbling down onto a rock, struck dumb in surprise. In awe. 

She had awed Kylo Ren, a powerful Dark Side user, with her power. In that moment, she saw from his eyes that she was special. Ever since then, he did not try to fight her. 

She woke up, now alert and ready to find a crystal. Ren was already awake, circling her again since she was nervous, even in sleep. 

After a quick breakfast, she headed into the cave, Ren staying at the mouth of the cave, afraid. 

As she searched with the Force for a crystal, her mind wandered. Thinking back to Ren and Ben. Their similarities. Her failure. How to answer his questions. Even now, he was seeking her. 

Finally, it came to her. She had impulsively tried to take back the lightsaber to have a weapon. To leave him. Not to fight. She simply acted, not thinking of him. Dropping him and scaring him. Now, she knew better. She would have to be gentle.

After a day of searching, she was calm. She still had another week's worth of food and supplies. After a second day, she was beginning to worry, and Luke was not responding to her, while Ben grew more insistent. She put him off, asking for a little more time, which seemed to appease him.

By the end of the third day, she was starting to panic. She needed to turn back soon, or she would run out of supplies. She felt the presence of the crystal, just of reach as always. With her rising panic, Ben sought her out again, and she asked for a little more time.

She decided to go one more day. She was sure it was close.

Midway through the day, she felt no closer. She ought to leave, but she could not. Ben was counting on her.

Just the thought of him brought up painful memories of their last two meetings via the Force. She sat down for a moment, to catch her breath and calm down from thinking about him. Alone, without her. Why was he alone, or she for that matter? 

And just like that, Ben was back, towering over her in all black. He was ready and triumphant. 

“I knew you'd need my help and come back,” he said, pleased with himself. Like all his moods, it changed suddenly, his stressed posture from before their meeting changing as he spread his legs and leaned over her. “Why? You still haven't answered my last question.”

She started to get up, but soon he was kneeling down to her level, searching her eyes. She let him look, remembering to be slow and deliberate, not impulsive.

She opened her mind for just a moment, to show him the cave and her frustration in searching. She showed him Ren.

He chuckled as he saw the beast.

“You’ve taken an eager interest in his concerns. What's so special about him?” 

He must have heard her name for him. He stiffened, and she closed the connection, for fear of showing him too much. 

“Why me?” he asked, his voice low and controlled.

“I misunderstood and hurt him. I didn't want to, but I did.”

He pulled away then, looking at her warily.

“So you admit you were wrong? Why did you betray me?” 

It tumbled out of his mouth quickly, his need to know burning her in the process. She could feel it through their connection. 

“All I had wanted was to leave since I couldn't follow you on that path. Not hurt or betray you.”

“The simple act of leaving was a betrayal,” he said with finality.

He got up and began pacing. He was thinking about something, and with his mind made, he stopped mid-step.

“Why are you in that cave now? You know I'll always find you, no matter how much the First Order needs me. You're my first priority.”

He was right, and the converse was also true. She could always find him, no matter how many walls he put up. 

“I still need a new weapon,” she said at last, hoping that honesty would win over and shut him up.

“For our next meeting, I suppose. It's foolish looking for crystals. We've mined them everywhere.”

“I know one is here. I can feel it through the Force, as sure as you're here beside me.”

“I'm not really there. Not yet at least,” he said with a wry look. 

She was confused for a moment, and then she saw him remove his left glove. It couldn't be.

But it was. He reached out to her, and she removed her right glove at once, eager to touch, to feel that closeness to him again.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, just before their hands touched.

“For the same reasons as you. To understand you better, and continue helping you. Luke didn't do enough. I can,” he said with pride.

With that, he grasped her hand, and a shock went through her. No vision of his future this time, but something else did come as she beheld his eyes. The same things she had seen in the vision in that hut, just in a slightly different form.

Safety. Acceptance. Belonging. She wasn't alone, and she knew she wouldn't be after that.

For a moment, both were still as they found what they were seeking in the other. Then, he moved closer, his breath making the loose hairs around her face fly back.

She licked her lips, all of her mouth dry. He saw it, and his eyes watched her mouth for tense moments. When his eyes returned, his smile was predatory.

“My little Rey of light. The things you do to me. Let's find this crystal already. I'd much rather deal with you than the rest of the First Order. They annoy me to no end.”

He had only been leading for a little while, and he felt more drained than he had ever felt before. No wonder Snoke was so aged. It just was not what he had expected. 

She took a deep breath as he turned away and surveyed the surroundings. 

She looked as well, and then she felt the crystal, so close. She looked around until she saw it in a rock formation above her head, in a crevice.

“I see it, but I can't reach it,” she said with a slight frown.

“Where? I can't see it. It won't come to me since I use the Dark Side. Use the Force; don't be afraid of it or to use it. Move some rocks.”

“But that's not an appropriate use of the Force,” she started, thinking of the respect due to crystals, before he interrupted with a knowing grin.

“Would you prefer if I held you around your middle and lifted you up to it?”

She blushed, considering the position. No, that was not a good idea. She might get distracted by him. She did not need that.

“That’s a worse idea,” she said in resignation. “I'll just call it.”

Much as Ben wanted to do as he suggested, he was also worried about the crystal rejecting her if she was using him for support. 

She pointed to the formation, so he could see it, and then she called the crystal. It came to her at once. 

“Good. Now, let's get out of here,” he said as he pulled her back in the direction of the mouth of the cave.

They did not get very far before a hissing noise was heard at the ground. Ben became very still.

“Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?” 

“Are you afraid?” she asked looking at the three snakes on the ground near a hole in the wall, and then she saw his widened eyes of panic. 

In the next moment, he was wishing her well, and he let go of her, effectively ending their moment. 

It was just as he let go that she heard another memory, definitely one of his. Of his father, looking much younger, saying something eerily similar about snakes. 

Like father, like son.

Smiling slightly and moving past the small snakes, she jogged where she could back to the cave’s mouth. 

As she continued, her thoughts went back to Ben and his sense of betrayal simply at her leaving. She had not expected that.

If she wanted to show him that she did not want to betray him, then she would have to address the leaving aspect somehow. 

There was also the issue of how to leave if he continued to push for her to come to his side, if history somehow repeated itself. She doubted it, though. Giving back what was his and showing him that she meant no harm was sure to prove herself. To change his mind.

But what if he needed more time? Time to think and talk to someone? Was she still forcing him to do this? 

For a moment, she despaired, but hope buoyed her back up quickly. She would stay, talk to him and support him. If she had made the mistake of expecting him to turn immediately before, then she would not this time. Then, she would not betray him any longer. 

It was scary to think what could happen to her there, but with him as Supreme Leader, he would have complete control over her fate. At some level, she knew that he would protect her.

\-----

Finally, she was back to Ren, who inspected her and her crystal.

In the morning, she left the cave after feeding them both. He followed until the wind became too much, and he slumped to the ground. She followed eagerly, ready to rest even though they were out in the open. 

She crawled onto him, seeking warmth, and suddenly, he was standing back up. His face tilted up to her, watching until he seemed satisfied, and he continued in the general direction they had been going. 

For hours she stayed up there, using her tracker from the Falcon to lead her back to it, gently encouraging Ren to go the right direction.

When she caught sight of the Falcon, he stopped. She got off and gave him the last of her food in thanks, before joining her cohorts.

All rejoiced when she was safely ensconced in the Falcon. From there, they went to a parts dealer that Chewie knew, only for Rey to find out that he was referring to Maz Kanata.

It seemed he was her favorite wookiee, knowing her new hideout already.

Some part of Rey balked at going back and having to show Maz what she had done, but she knew it was for the best. She had been an understanding woman, and would no doubt want to help her after encouraging her to take the lightsaber to begin with.

When they found Maz, she gave Chewie a very enthusiastic welcome, and then sent him off to rest. 

“You're back, and stronger than ever. And yet, something is not right,” Maz said in greeting.

Rey bent down to Maz’s level, wanting her to see how sorry she felt for what she had done.

“I've destroyed it. It's my fault. Please, help me fix this. It's the only way to reach Ben.”

“Ben? The Ben?” she asked in a concerned tone, peering closer into Rey’s eyes.

“Yes. He's conflicted. I can help, but he needs this lightsaber to do it. I've got to repair it, so he can see it for himself. That I never wanted to betray him, only help him.”

At that, she brought forward the broken lightsaber and the new crystal.

Maz smiled indulgently and nodded. These eyes held nothing but sincerity and understanding. Peace and acceptance. She thought she knew her path. Not yet. Not the full extent.

“Of course, child. Come with me. I have all the tools you'll need. I have an old droid who can help.”

Over the course of the next few weeks, Rey reread the books about preparing crystals and choosing parts, only having to send off for one part with guidance from Maz and her droid.

Each week, she heard from Ben. It was never long that they spoke, as both had work, he being summoned at odd hours. She always listened patiently as he vented about workers’ incompetence. He also would sometimes discuss the times he made his own lightsabers, which she always loved hearing. 

He never asked her when she was going to return, which surprised her. She wondered if he realized that she had already made her decision to come back, or assumed she was if she was going to create a weapon to use against him.

When everything was prepared, she was left to her work, no distractions. When she emerged again, she had a new, blue lightsaber and a proud smile.

“We did it! Thank you,” she said, embracing Maz. 

“You're welcome. Now, go and fulfill your purpose.”

“I will. I'm going to bring Ben home.”

“Are you going to tell him how you feel?” Maz asked.

“How I feel? I don't understand,” said Rey.

Maz smiled. “Search your feelings, child. Why is he special?”

“He's the answer to all our problems. I want to be there for him. I need him,” she answered in a small voice, finally saying it out loud.

“Is that all you feel for him?” Maz asked.

“Yes,” replied Rey too quickly. 

“Very well, child. I wish you well with him.”

Rey could deny it now, but once she saw Ben again, Maz was sure that he would make her understand. 

\-----

Rey hid the lightsaber in a dark bag, and she reached out to Ben. 

“You seem happier today,” he remarked darkly. 

He was not in a good mood. She chose her words carefully. 

“I have all that I need. I'm ready to come back to you.”

Whatever he had been expecting, after weeks of light conversation, never fully blocked out but not being brought in to experience the building (a crowning moment for any Jedi), it was not this. 

Still, he knew where she belonged: at his side. His equal was finally returning to him.

Without hesitation, he told her where to come, just as he had when she had come on board before. 

Just as before, Ben was waiting for her when she arrived, several stormtroopers at his side to search her.

“She has a weapon in here, sir,” said a stormtrooper after a brief search.

Ben gave her a hard look before asking for her to be restrained. Then, she was marched back to an interrogation room nearby, a perfect view of the hangar bay through a window.

When the door closed, he turned on her quickly, the restraints falling away as he did so. He invaded her personal space, and suddenly it was hard to breathe, for once not because he was causing it. 

He was just too close. She could smell his hair, fragrant with a little balsam there, and she wanted to touch it. Just once. He ran his hands through it enough when he was venting; she wanted to try it once.

His body responded differently now compared to the throne room. Less anxiety and pent up energy. He seemed much more in control now. This clothing was freshly laundered, and his skin beckoned.

It would be soft, unlike the rough pads of his fingers. The clean, manly smell was enough to fill her senses. The sense of smell was never that strong through their connection, but in person, it overwhelmed everything else.

“Why did you put your lightsaber in a bag? Why hide it?”

“I have a reason,” she said cryptically.

“It didn't matter if they saw it or not. Don't you think I want to see the thing that I helped you create? You would've received it back from me. Every other fight was fair like that. Why didn't you trust me?” he asked, his voice growing in tenor before throwing the bag at her.

“I, I-" she stuttered, catching the bag automatically, trying understand where his mind was going.

“You came back, despite not trusting me. Something has changed your mind; I can sense your resolve. What is it? I haven't changed mine. I want you here, beside me.”

His voice was growing deeper, the need in his voice pulling at her. He couldn't force her to stay, but he would try.

Rey struggled to get out the words, but knew she had to now, before anything else was said or done. 

“The reason I wanted it to be unseen was because it's this,” she said gently, revealing the lightsaber as though it were a great secret. “Here, take it. It's yours. I know now it doesn't belong to me, and I shouldn't have tried before. I'll go and make another one for myself.”

Just as she had with Luke, she held out the saber, begging him to take him, and just like Luke, he stared at her, his eyes confused until something dark entered.

“You mean to tell me that,” he breathed slowly, “all this trouble and discomfort, hiding from me,” his voice rose again as he continued, “was to reforge this for me?” 

By the end, a slight edge of hysteria had crept into his voice. His eyes were furious, angry she would risk herself like that, even if he felt a little touched that she would go through all this just for him. 

Her voice and demeanor remained serene and calm, as though it were the most natural thing to do.

“Of course. You've always wanted it. Then I broke it. It was wrong of me. I was impulsive and-" 

“But where's your weapon?” he asked, slightly more controlled but still barely holding on.

“I'll make one later. That's not important. What's more important is you.”

She put her hands out more purposefully this time. 

“You're leaving yourself completely open and vulnerable,” he said, trying to understand.

“I know,” she said with certainty. She took another step forward. 

“You do realize that I'm not going to let you leave me this time since you won't have a weapon, right?” he said, his voice growing husky. Now he moved closer. 

“Yes, I knew it was possible,” she said, her eyes locking onto his. 

“Possible? More like fated to happen,” he growled, taking one last step to remove all the distance. 

He still did not touch it. She wondered why not. She had felt it, that she had to come back for this. 

Using the Force, he lifted the lightsaber out of her hands, and onto the ground in a corner, while his eyes never left hers.

Then, with nothing left between them, he said, “I don't want it back. It's yours. It's been yours, ever since the forest. I couldn't stop it, even when I tried. It answers to you, chose you. Not me.”

Her mouth moved, opening, closing, trying to make sounds come out. Nothing worked. She was at a loss, trying to understand why she was needed here if not for the lightsaber. Why he would want her.

He leaned in.

“Now, tell me why you're really here,” he whispered into her ear, his breath hot and caressing across her skin.

She thought her body would stiffen, as contact with others often caused. But not him. Plenty of tension, but when the touch did come, she welcomed it with open arms, leaning into him.

Now she could feel his lips on her outer ear, so soft and warm, so unbearably good.

“The Resistance,” she started shakily.

“Forget them. What about you, Rey? My little Rey.”

His lips had found the skin below her ear, and he was tasting it, savoring it. She could feel his tongue at odd moments, and she shivered in response. 

“I need you,” she said in a low voice.

He pulled back just enough, his eyes narrowing in surprise as their noses touched.

“What did you say?” he asked, needing to hear her words again, not believing it.

“I need you,” she said, knowing it was true. No one else knew her the way he did. Saw her like he did. Pushed her like he did. Helped her find herself as he did. 

His lips found hers, urgent and all-consuming. He had felt the tension for so long, so to finally give in to it was the greatest weakness he knew. 

He didn't care. It was worth it to taste her, touch her, and claim her. To have all of her. No price was too great.

Each inch of skin on her face was explored by lips or tongue. Each smooth crevice was new, invigorating. Her mouth was the greatest torture, so soft and pliant at first with hints of fruit, and then, when his tongue had ventured in, her teeth found him, clinging to him and nipping, not letting him do all the tasting. 

She showed him her own raw need. To taste, know, and belong. She would not stand by and let him do all the claiming. She would fight and assert her place. 

As he deepened the kiss, he knew this was not a weakness. Nothing this powerful could be. He was powerful alone, but with her, the possibilities could fill galaxies. 

She, who had come from nothing, was ready to join him, who had everything. He would give her everything. 

And yet, was that really what she wanted? The world?

No, he wanted that. He wanted a New Order. A world without all these wars and divisions.

The problem was that he did not want to lead it. He thought he had, but in the following weeks as Supreme Leader, he found that he did not enjoy it as he thought he would. 

Punishing Hux was his main source of joy. Getting all of the world together and united was hard, just as his absent mother had always said. 

It was not those things that made life worth it. This connection with Rey did. She brought a sense of completion into his life, even as she risked her own life for others not deserving of it, including him. 

The fact that she needed him was a surprise, but even as she said it, he knew he needed her as well. That unless they stayed together, this life would never hold what he really sought. Being apart from her had taught him that. 

He had had so many carefully laid-out plans, all of which were destroyed as she entered his life. Now, the only way to make plans was to include her, and give up what he must to have her. 

The frantic, heady emotions consumed them both, until both were breathing heavily, unwilling to part. They still could not take their eyes off one another, as lost as they were. 

“Rey, what do you want to do now?” 

She eyed him carefully before untangling herself from him.

“I'm not-"

“You're not what exactly?” he asked, a little exasperated.

“I'm not important. My purpose has been fulfilled, in choosing to come to you to support you no matter what choice you made.”

“That's patently wrong, and you know why?” Ben asked, taking her hand again. 

She gave him a blank look. 

“You know what I want, to have you at my side. You've already agreed to that. The reason why you're important is because you have a much bigger purpose than anything you've considered before. As Snoke said, you're my equal. Do you know what that means?”

She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

“It means that in everything I do, you are what balances and completes me. Regardless of what we do together, you'll always stand for good, be that light of hope. You'll protect the galaxy from evil, always. You're strong, and could be even stronger if you'd let me teach you.”

Her face paled slightly as he made his first pronouncement about her purpose. Finally, some color came back, along with a slight rise of an eyebrow at his last comment. That encouraged him, as she did not seem totally against it. 

“However, I don't want us to be apart, just waiting for the other to act so we can fight against one another again and again. That's pointless, just like these petty wars that happen each generation. We can end it. We can work together.” 

He was getting excited again, taking both of her hands in his. What had been pleading was now excitement, as he had had time to think about what he had meant to say last time. 

“We can be a team. We can rule the galaxy, but we won't have to be leaders, if that isn't what you want. I want you by my side, Rey, because you're the only one who'll ever understand me. The only one who can keep me in line and who cares more about me than anyone else. Having a certain lightsaber won't change me. Being….. loved by you does, because you'd stand by me no matter what. For that, nothing else matters to me but what you want.”

She gasped when he mentioned the word love. Was that what Maz had been referring to? Yes, that was it. Love- warm, selfless, and true- was ready to do anything to fight for what mattered most. 

It had scared him to say the word love, after the examples in his own life, but he saw the purity of hers, and it emboldened him.

“Nothing? Not even this new order you've taken over?” 

She searched his eyes, trying to find anything that contradicted what he said. He was glad to note that she did not try to escape his grasp. 

“Do you want to help lead it?” he asked, his face neutral.

“No, I want to leave this. Stop all this war and bloodshed, as you said. Some part of me hopes that the First Order could be destroyed without us.”

“And then let the world just sort itself out?” he continued, pulling away from her to make a vague gesture. 

“Yes. There are good people out there. Let them figure it out, not us,” she said with a hard look of her own.

“Then what shall we do?” he asked, grabbing the restored lightsaber.

“I don't know. I've always wanted to explore the world. We could do that together,” she said simply. 

Ever since seeing Takodana, she had wanted to see so much more of other galaxies. He no doubt had seen much, but not all. When he first made his proposal, she almost thought he was suggesting that. She would have done that instantly.

He smiled. “Yes, we could, and I could train you more as well.”

He handed her the lightsaber. She looked hesitant for a moment, but then took it. 

“Ever since you've come crashing into my life, I have felt that call to the Light more strongly, but even now, I don't think I could stay fully in the Light, even if I tried. Snoke has seen to that in his training.”

Rey looked sad at his words.

“Then why did you want your grandfather's saber so much?” she asked in a small voice.

“It's one of the very few connections I have left to him. I always felt more comfortable around him than anyone else. He understood the pulls of the Light and Dark. For so long, I have been compared to him.”

“But you're not him. You're so much more than that. You're you.”

And that was the thing. It all seemed so clear coming from her. He did not have to live in shadows, in his past. He could be himself, without expectations. Just as he had always wanted.

“Yes, I am. And then there's you, Rey Everything. You would never embrace the darkness fully; I see that clearly.”

She nodded her head in agreement, a little taken aback by his last name for her.

“But despite all that, I think we can live in harmony, in balance,” he said slowly, looking to her.

“There's always balance in the Force, Light and Dark coexisting,” she ventured, thinking of her first lesson.

“Exactly. Luke was on to something. I didn't believe it then, but I do now. Perhaps I'll never fully be one or the other, and when I'm done training you, neither will you.”

“Then what does that make us?” she asked with uncertainty.

“Somewhere in the middle, between the Dark and Light. Gray. Together, living in balance, as we should be.”

“Yes,” she answered, growing excited.

“We need to get out of here,” he said. We can take my ship-"

“Wait. Before we do that, let me tell my friends. I'll have Chewie meet us somewhere, and I'll tell the others good luck.”

He wanted to scream. What part of going away had she not understood?

She looked at his face, confused by the rage she saw.

“What is it?” she asked, coming to him at once. Her hands sought his empty ones, trying to understand.

So much compassion in those eyes of hers. She cared for him, saw him as more than he had thought he could ever be. It made him pause.

He held himself in control as he asked, “Why do we need to contact them?” 

“Well, your ship is good, but very recognizable. They can help us escape. They said they would.”

He smiled. She was learning. She was not leaving him for someone else, only using her resources. 

“Very well,” he said, pointing her over to a comm. “Do what you must. We leave in ten minutes.”

She got a hold of Chewie and told him of their agreed-upon meeting point. She was in the process of getting hold of Poe and Finn when a knock came at the door.

“I'm busy in here with a prisoner,” shouted Ben with menace.

The door opened, revealing Hux. He looked angry.

“Hardly, unless you've turned against us, which I've always suspected.”

Rey could see Finn and Poe, but she quieted them at once when she saw their company. 

“For once, Hux, you're right. I'm leaving you behind for something far better than all of this.”

“For that nobody scavenger?” Hux cried out in disdain.

“Never call her that,” Ben whispered, his tone cool as he Force-choked Hux. “She's not nobody. She's my equal. Mine.”

There was such authority in his voice. His word was final. Rey felt it stir something within her, as he claimed her as his. It was new, and even better than the acceptance she had found in him.

After a few moments of holding Hux like that, he let go, Hux collapsing to the ground. 

When he could talk, he spat, “I'm still going to kill her for what she did to Snoke, unless you did that, too?”

“I did kill him,” he said with pleasure. “He was a menace. I should have removed him a long time ago, but I was weak. Still holding on to the past. A past where I finished my grandfather's legacy. Then I met her. She set me free, and strengthened me.”

“She's the means of your self-destruction!” cried Hux as he quickly shot off his blaster.

It was only one accurate shot in a small room, and while Rey proceeded to duck, Finn and Poe looked on with a smile. They knew all too well how Kylo Ren dealt with blasters.

For a moment, Hux thought that he had finally found some way of getting back at Ren after all this time. Then he saw the shot stop mid-air.

“I've always wanted to do this,” Ben said calmly, and with a flick of his hand, the beam went backwards into Hux’s chest. 

He was dead. The main leaders of the First Order were now gone.

“Rey, we must leave now,” Ben said, turning back to her, holding out a hand.

She nodded and turned to her friends. “Are you satisfied yet? Have a ship ready. We're coming.”

Both men nodded, unable to say more. The comm was turned off, and she took his hand.

“Ready to fight together?” she asked with a grin.

His answering grin only served to bolster her up further as they reached the door.

“Oh yes, sweetheart. Always.”

For a moment, everything was as it should be. Hand in hand, they would take on the world, and put a stop to this madness. 

“Ben, if I'm yours, then are you mine as well?” she asked, finally releasing the burning question in her mind. Death had a way of clearing up everything quickly like that.

She had never belonged to anyone, even a family. It was foreign to imagine it, and yet, as he claimed her in front of all those witnesses, there was no doubt in his mind, which left none in hers. She needed him, and despite that and his claiming, she remained true to herself. He wanted her like that, not asking for any change. 

At some level, she wanted him to realize that she wanted him in that way, too, faults and all. That he was enough for her.

He gazed at her, his eyes delving into her soul. He found what he was looking for, the truth burning brightly in her mind. 

“Yes. Yes, I am.”

If a soul could burn brighter in that moment, Ben was sure it was impossible. Rey would eclipse them all. He was lost in that joy, that light that pulled him harder than anything else ever had. 

Then, cold reality set in as Rey heard a lot of noise, and looking around the door, she saw swarms of stormtroopers coming their way.

“So are we going to slash them down as we make our way to the hangar?” she asked, trying to count the horde.

“Pretty much. We did pretty well last time, but this time, we don't split up. We'll create a shield. Here,” he said, putting his forehead against hers.

In that moment, she watched as he stopped blaster shots and more using only the Force. It was amazing, and she wanted to learn it at once.

“That's it,” he said with a small smile, recognizing her eagerness to learn.

Minds now synchronized, Rey examined the filled hallway.

“Ben, I think we need a new plan.”

“What's wrong with the old plan?”

“Have you seen the number of them? I think Hux was ready for an assassination.”

His dark eyes remained so until he saw the truth of her words. With that, his mind went into action.

“Alright, new plan. Get rid of that window.”

He pushed her back toward the hangar.

“What's the plan?” she asked eagerly, concentrating on the window’s glass. 

“I'm going to hold them off while you create an escape route there. Then we'll figure it out from there.”

“What? What kind of crazy plan is that?” she asked, horrified. “How are we going to get down there?” 

“Don't ask the question unless you have an answer for it,” he cautioned, turning to focus on the heavy fire power.

Rey stewed in her corner, and let that anger about the lack of plan flow through her. She had used righteous fury to disarm Luke, and she was not above it now, placing her hands on the glass.

Soon, it broke, and she cleared a large enough area to jump through it. Then, she began evaluating her surroundings. Once satisfied, she called to Ben.

“I have a plan to get us down to your ship.”

His eyebrows raised, pleased and surprised by how fast she had done it. Without turning his back on the stormtroopers, he continued blocking their blasts with a shield from the Force, walking backward until he felt her calm, steadying presence. 

“Show me what you have in mind,” he said.

She opened her mind to him at once, images flooding through. He had a cloak, and she a sash. There was a beam going between the hanging lights. They could use the Force and slide along beams, jump from light to light, until they made it to his ship. 

Clever girl. 

“I like it. We just need a little more protection, first,” he said, waving a hand and causing two blasters to fly onto the ground at their feet. “These will do.”

With a blaster in one hand, and cloth in another, the two barreled toward his ship, Ben leading as he preferred. 

He took gleeful pleasure in shooting down any number of ranking officers while en route. Rey shot at the ones who shot at her.

They made the first jump to the lights, then the next. She was starting to get the hang of it by the fourth jump. 

They were close when someone shot at her while she jumped, and he took great displeasure from it. He lost focus as he prepared to jump, killing off the would-be attackers, while Rey easily slipped past the shots. When she saw that he might not make it, she jumped faster, concentrating harder on her jump so she could pull him with her to safety.

It worked. Her hand holding the blaster dropped it, instead reaching for his lower back and using her momentum to get them both there. 

When they landed, he said, “Once we get out of here, remind me to kiss you.”

She smiled, allowing him to go first as they made the final jump to the ground, using shields until they made it to his ship.

She was barely ahead of him, and when she saw the open pilot’s seat, she could not help herself from jumping in. .

“Rey, what are you thinking?” he asked in confusion, sitting down in the co-pilot’s seat temporarily. 

“I've always wanted to fly one of these,” she said eagerly. “I've flown the older models, but none like this.”

Her hands were a flurry of activity, her mind remembering the plans she had seen for one of these. When he realized that she had things under control, that she had somehow seen the plans for his personalized ship, he put in the coordinates.

“I always knew you liked flying. I enjoy it, but nowhere near as much as you,” he said in awe.

“Buckle up. We're leaving at lightspeed,” she said.

“Lightspeed? I don't think-"

“It can,” said Rey with conviction and a crooked smile. “I've seen it done.”

He gave a skeptical glance, and then, they were gone. 

As they left, the power struggle between the officers resulted in more dead than alive, and when they finally stopped for breath, they had a bigger problem: the Resistance had come, with backup.

A galaxy away, Rey and Ben reunited with the Falcon and its inhabitants. After an initial tussle with Chewie, ending with a few bruises and scratches for both, Ben was reluctantly welcomed aboard. Then, it was time to go back to the Resistance base and get their new ship.

There were not many there to welcome the Falcon back, but Leia was there. She needed to see her son. 

As the door opened, her heart seized, watching him come out with Rey, arm in arm. She had heard the fantastical tale from Poe and Finn, but she had been unwilling to believe it. Now she did.

“Ben!”

Rey gave them a moment as Leia embraced Ben.

“About Han-" he started.

“He didn't die in vain. You're forgiven,” she said earnestly. “I'm just glad to have you back.”

“I'll never be fully back as Ben, but-"

“I'll take this,” said Leia. “I just want you to be happy. To find love and purpose in this life.”

“I have,” he said, turning to look at Rey for a moment. 

Rey saw him look at her, and she smiled. Such joy and compassion could not be anything else but love. And he loved her. He would give his life for her.

After that, the two parted, he pulling back after not being used to such displays of affection.

Then, it was Rey’s turn to be embraced by Leia.

“Welcome to the family, Rey. You'll always be loved and accepted here.”

“Thank you,” she sobbed, unable to say more.

She knew Leia cared, but more than that, Ben did. He looked on, so protective of her.

Why are you crying?

I'm so happy, Ben. Family. Real family.

There was a huff and chuckle from him at the thought of his family being a real family, but it quieted within moments. 

I'll always be here for you. You'll never be lonely again.

I know that. Thank you. You'll never walk alone again.

After that, the women parted, and the new ship was found. 

Soon after that, a small contingent came running toward the General, smiles and whoops abounding. 

“We've done it! We've captured them!”

“Where is everyone?” she asked, her excitement soon caught up in theirs.

“Negotiating when to have peace talks. They'll be back soon.”

She turned to her son and Rey. “If you don't want to witness a lot of celebrating, I suggest you leave now.”

“We should,” said Rey, shocking Ben.

The question was loud in his mind.

What about your friends?

“They know not to expect me back. I've made my choice.”

I choose you. Always you.

“Then if that's the case,” said Leia matter-of-factly, “May the Force be with you.”

The two took off with an extra droid, food, supplies, and their lightsabers. Now, they searched for the Knights of Ren scattered throughout, determined to bring them to their side. 

“You still haven't kissed me,” teased Rey once they decided where to go first.

“So I haven't,” he mused, pulling out his saber.

“What are you doing?” she asked warily, reaching for her own. 

“Something I've wanted to do for a while,” he said as he turned on her lightsaber. 

“The Light and the Dark, united at last,” he said, both lightsabers brought into an x shape between their faces. It reminded him of the forest, the first time he had wanted to kiss her senseless.

“Balance,” she answered, leaning in.

“Together,” he murmured, closing the distance between them.

In the end, the lightsaber was not what turned him. 

It was love. A love that accepted both as they were, that was not afraid of risk. A love that found everything in nothing. A love of equals. 

The lightsaber started the bonding process, and pushed it to its final ending. The hearts that were broken by loss and betrayal were healed by love, just as the lightsaber was.

**Author's Note:**

> The End! Thanks for reading!


End file.
